Following a crushing defeat against South Africa, the Indian team could have something to smile as experienced all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is expected to return for the second Test, which is set to begin on January 3 in Cape Town. In the first Test, Jadeja was ruled out after experiencing an “upper back spasm” on the first day.
Several fans and pundits have suggested that the Men in Blue should play Ravichandran Ashwin in the match but the Tamil Nadu all-rounder could not make an impact for the team in the 1st game. Earlier, Ashwin had to miss a few international assignments because of Ravindra Jadeja’s presence in the team.
Jadeja’s absence was felt against South Africa, especially in batting, as India lost by an innings and 32 runs. Although Ravichandran Ashwin bowled 19 overs for 1 for 40, he was not particularly effective as the South African players comfortably played him throughout their first innings.
On the third day of the first Test, Ravindra Jadeja participated in the warm-up session before the match began. During the practice, he did not appear to be in any pain as he ran several short strides of 30 to 40 meters and conducted some fitness drills.
Later, during the lunch break on the third day, Jadeja bowled on a practice track for about 20 minutes with reserve pacer Mukesh Kumar, under the watchful eye of the team’s fitness and conditioning coach, Rajnikanth. Though he used a two-step run-up, he was able to hit the spot consistently and even turned a few deliveries.
The Left-handed batter can contribute vital runs batting at lower down the order, he has previously batted at Nos. 6 and 7 in SENA countries. However, with four days remaining till the start of the second Test, he has a good chance of playing and making a difference.
Ravindra Jadeja is known for his accuracy in bowling, which can create wicket-taking opportunities. He can also make good use of any rough he creates, giving opposing batters something new to consider.
With 275 wickets, he is India’s seventh-best Test wicket-taker. He has also been vital with the bat, accumulating over 2800 runs at an average of 36.41 with three hundreds, and could be a valuable addition to the game.
